Textile product



Patented Oct. 28, 1952 TEXTILE PRODUCT Andrew Harold Little, Welwyn Garden City, England, assignor to Imperial Chemical Industries 1 Limited, a corporation of Great Brita-in No Drawing. ApplicationJ'anuary 17, 1947, Se-.

rial No. 722,747. 15, 1946.

5 Claims.

This invention relates to the production of smooth glazed surfaces on textile products, such as yarns, cords, braids and fabrics, which have 'as basic constituent a fibre which does not substantially change in shape or tensile strength when heated for a short time at temperatures below 200 C.

It has been proposed to prepare textile products by associating yarns or fibres of a non-thermoplastic textile material with yarns or fibres composed of a thermoplatsic material and then treating the textile product so obtained in such a way that the thermoplastic material contained therein is softened and bonds the non-thermoplastic yarns or fibres together.

The object of our invention is the production of textileproducts, having as basic constituent one or more types of fibre which do not substantially change in shape or tensile strength when heated for a short time at temperatures below 200 C.; the surface of these textile products -hav-- ing a glazed finish and being substantially fre from the projecting ends of staple fibres.

According to the present invention this object is accomplished by subjecting to pressure, by a polished metal surface, a textile producthaving the hereinbefore mentioned constituent fibres and containing a minor proportion of fibres con- 'sisting of polymers of ethylene or hydrolysed interpolymers of ethylene and vinyl acetate, when heated to a temperature at which the polymers or hydrolysed interpolymers of ethylene have a melt viscosity not greater than 50,000 poises, the textile product being heated for a time insufficient to damage the other fibres of the textile product, and cooling the textile product until the polymers or interpolymers of ethylene are solid, either during or after the pressure treatment.

For the heat and pressure treatment of textile products such as yarn, braid, or cord it will be understood that they must be in the form of a single strand'which is not in contact with other strands so that the softening of the ethylene polymer or interpolymer does not cause a number of strands or a coiled strand of the yarn, braid or cord to fuse together. For the same reason, fabric, during the heat and pressure treatment, should be preferably in the form of a single sheet.

It is preferred that the process of this invention should be continuous e. g. yarn, spun from the mixture of fibres, should be subjected to heat and pressure as it unwinds from a package and should be rewound as smooth surfaced yarn, after cooling. When operating in this way there is little chance of a surface of a textile product heated during the process of this invention con- In Great Britain February tacting a similar heated surface. Continuous operation isinot always possible however. Fabric for example, under certain circumstances may be processed more easily in a non-continuous manner. I Fibres suitable for associating with the polymers or hydrolysed interpolymers of ethylene to form the yarns of this invention include cotton,

Wool, flax or silk and artificial fibres such as nylon, rayon.

The interpolymers and production of solid polymers of ethylene is described inBritishpatent specification No. 471,590 and the production of threads and fibres from" these polymers is British Patent 602,549, and 27,138/45, now British Patent 602,550. Hydrolysed interpolymers preferred are those having an ethylene/vinyl acetate molecular'r'atio between the limits 2.5 :1 and 3:1.

The mixture'of fibres of this invention may be processed into yarn by any method known to the art, the method .used depending essentially upon the properties of the fibres which predominate. If desired the yarn may be prepared so that the polythene or H. E. V. A. fibres lie on the surface of the composite yarn e. g. the production of hoop yarn. These yarns may be woven, knitted or otherwise formed into fabric, cord, braids and the like.

In carrying out the process of this invention, the processed yarn, or textile products produced from the yarn may be heated by any suitable means. When the textile product is being heat treated in a continuous manner it may, for example, be subjected to a current of hot air, moving along its direction of movement or be passed through a hot oven or over a heated surface. Pressure may be applied to the hot textile products during or immediately after the heating operation. A generally suitable method is to press the textile product, when heated to the hereinbefore mentioned temperature, against one or more heated polished metal surfaces. It is preferred that the heated textile product should slide over the metal surface. For the treatment of yarns, braids or cords, this may be carried out by drawing the yarn, braid or cord through a heated die having a slightly tapered bore. The length and temperature of the die depends upon the fibre mixture, the diameter and the rate of movement of the yarn, braid or cord, its temperature immediately before passing through the die and on whether it is intended that the die should chill the polymer or hydrolysed interpolymer of ethylene. When it is desired to impart a glazed finished to fabrics prepared from yarn containing the hereinbefore described fibre mixture the fabric may be passed between calendering rolls, or may be subjected to pressure by the use-of a stamping machine preferably utilising heated platens. It will be appreciated that the composite textile product should be cooled to a temperature at which the polymers or hydrolysed interpolymers of ethylene are solid before it is wound onto a bobbin or into a roll. It is prefered that this cooling should be done rapidly e. g. by quenching in a bath of cold liquid.

The smooth glazed finish produced on the yarns and textile products of this invention is of a permanent nature being unaffected by washing and is therefore superior to the glazed finish obtained using compositions commonly used for this purpose e. g. starch-wax mixtures.

The treated yarns of this invention are useful for the production of smooth surfaced sewing thread and for the production of decorative braids and cords. Colouring the fibres of polythene or H. E. V. A. by pigmentation or dyeing assists the production of decorative effects. Fabrics prepared from the yarn after heat and pressure treatment, have a stiff handle, good lustre and smooth finish. These properties make these fabrics particularly suitable for use as decorative hangings, upholstery'and book cloths.

I claim: I

1. In a process for the production of textile products, the surfaces of which-have a glazed finish and are free from the projecting ends of staple fibres, the step which comprises'subjecting to pressure, by a polished metal surface a textile product having as basic constituent fibres which do'not substantially change in shape or tensile strength when heated for a short time at a temperature below 200 C. and containing a minor proportion of fibres of the group consisting of polymers of ethylene and hydrolysed interpoly- 5 mers of ethylene and vinyl acetate, when heated to a temperature at which fibers of the group have a melt viscosity not greater than 50,000 poises the textile product being heated to a temperature and for a time insufiicient to damage the other fibres of the textile product and insufficient to fuse the polymer and interpolymer fibers, and cooling the textile product until the fibers of the group are solid.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the staple fibers are in the form of a yarn and the heat and pressure are imparted to the yarn in a continuous manner.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the textile product is cooled rapidly after the heat and pressure treatment.

4. A process according to claim 1 wherein the textile product is heated by means of a current of hot air.

5. A textile product having smooth glazed surfaces free from the projecting ends of staple fibers comprising a textile product containing at least one basic constituent group of fibers which retain substantially unchanged their shape and strength when heated for a short time at 200 C., and another group of fibers of the group consisting of polymers of ethylene and hydrolyzed interpolymers of ethylene and vinyl acetate which When heated to a temperature below 200 C. have a melt viscosity not greater than 50,000 poises which latter fibers are discrete and unfused and have smooth, glazed surfaces.

ANDREW HAROLD LITTLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I OTHER REFERENCES "American Cotton Handbook, by Merrill et al. Publication by American Cotton Handbook (30., New York, N. Y., pages 760-762. 1st Edition. (Copy in Div. 21.) Copyright 1941. 

1. IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF TEXTILE PRODUCTS, THE SURFACES OF WHICH HAVE A GLAZED FINISH AND ARE FREE FROM THE PROJECTING ENDS OF STAPLE FIBRES, THE STEP WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING TO PRESSURE, BY A POLISHED METAL SURFACE A TEXTILE PRODUCT HAVING AS BASIC CONSTITUENT FIBRES WHICH DO NOT SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGE IN SHAPE OR TENSILE STRENGTH WHEN HEATED FOR A SHORT TIME AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW 200* C. AND CONTAINING A MINOR PROPORTION OF FIBRES OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF POLYMERS OF ETHYLENE AND HYDROLYSED INTERPOLYMERS OF ETHYLENE AND VINYL ACETATE, WHEN HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH FIBERS OF THE GROUP HAVE A MELT VISCOSITY NOT GREATER THAN 50,000 POISES THE TEXTILE PRODUCT BEING HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE AND FOR A TIME INSUFFICIENT TO DAMAGE THE OTHER FIBRES OF THE TEXTILE PRODUCT AND INSUFFICIENT TO FUSE THE POLYMER AND INTERPOLYMER FIBERS, AND COOLING THE TEXTILE PRODUCT UNTIL THE FIBERS OF THE GROUP ARE SOLID. 